Moving On
by eighttails
Summary: Set after Land of the Sea arc. Anko and Naruto have a brief, yet deeply impacting conversation.


**Hello, everybody! This idea popped into my brain like half an hour ago. Sorry to people who like Naruto harems, this isn't a romantic fic. I don't ship that…**

 **This takes place right after the Land of the Sea arc. I feel like this scene could have been in there somewhere, maybe not like this (it would have been written way better). I don't own** _ **Naruto**_ **and never will, but I'm fanfiction trash, so there.**

/

"Naruto, you idiot!" Ino's high-pitched voice cut through the sea air. Anko winced. Damn, that girl could be shrill. It didn't surprise the special jonin, though. Naruto probably _had_ done something stupid.

But…there was something about the three brats Anko had been put in charge of that made her think. They were close. Most classmates tended to be. Even though Naruto was notorious for being dense and obnoxious, he had a heart of gold. And his companions recognized that. He wasn't the outcast he used to be.

It was petty, but Anko was envious. Naruto, the loudmouth who had given her attitude during the Chunin Exams, had developed into a promising young ninja with more spirit than anyone. He had shaken the labels placed on him – mostly, anyway. Now, no one outright called him the Nine-Tails kid. Anko never had called him that, actually. She knew what it was like to be seen as a freak. Perhaps not in the same way Naruto had. But still.

Anko smiled to herself. She hardly had any friends, but the ones she did have were irreplaceable. Kurenai had been there for her from the start, despite their clashing personalities, and Gai…well he was accepting of anyone who worked hard. He'd been a willing sparring partner every single day. Kakashi had changed his asshole ways after his genin team had been destroyed (which was a different story altogether).

So she shouldn't be so jealous of the bonds between her subordinates. Anko was happy that Naruto's backtalk at the Forest of Death hadn't been hot air. Moreover, she admired that he was determined to bring his friend back from Orochimaru's clutches. Before, Anko might have lamented that no one had stopped her from following the madman. Then again, Anko hadn't needed saving after all. She had been strong enough to break away from her former mentor, even if it meant death. And that revelation had healed a tiny bit of the heartbreak of being betrayed.

/

There was a knock on Anko's cabin door. It was the middle of the night, dammit, and getting up while the boat was swaying was a pain in her ass. Whoever it was had better have a good reason for waking her up.

"What?" Anko growled as she opened the door. Naruto stood there, a hard look in his eyes.

"Crazy Snake La – I mean, uh, Anko-sensei," he paused. "Can we talk? It's about Sasuke."

Anko's irritation diffused quickly. "Come in."

They took a seat on the puny bed. Anko spat a half-assed fire jutsu at the hanging lantern above them.

"What's on your mind, kid?"

"You were Orochimaru's student, right? But you're here. I mean you're loyal to the Leaf Village."

"Yes," Anko felt the familiar waves of shame wash over her. In the past, she had feared being rejected by others. Then she hadn't cared. Now, that wasn't an issue.

Naruto seemed to be searching for words. The kid either had to vomit words or he couldn't articulate himself correctly.

"I don't think Sasuke is gonna come back willingly. Like you. I never thought he would. It's just…why did he go with that guy?" There were wounds in Naruto's heart that were reflected in his eyes. Anko had heard bits and pieces from Kakashi, but not much else. All she knew was that Naruto and his friends had tried to stop Sasuke from defecting and failed.

She sighed. "Orochimaru promises people power over their fates. It's easy to listen to him when everyone tells you that there's no hope, or if he gets you to believe that you can be so much more than what others can." Oh yes, he had promised her many things. Immortality – a concept that, in her youthful naivety, had seemed awesome. Forbidden jutsu – making her feel as if he trusted her ability to perform them.

"Sasuke wants power. For revenge." Naruto said, frustrated. "But doesn't he realize that his own efforts will make him stronger? And he doesn't need revenge! That'll make things worse!

"I can't exactly agree with you on the revenge bit. I myself have a score to settle with Orochimaru. But you'll get Sasuke back, right?"

"Oh, you can believe I will! And I'll tie that snake up in knots, too!" Naruto jumped to his feet, energized. "By the way, sensei, let me shoulder your burden."

"Excuse me?" Okay, Anko respected the kid's raw potential. But she did not ask for any favors.

Naruto looked her dead in the eyes. "I'm used to dealing with people's hatred. Let me take yours so you can move on with your life. I'll get Sasuke back so I can fulfill my promise to Sakura. I'll defeat Orochimaru, too. That way, I can finish this cycle of ugliness." What was this boy saying?

Anko thought about how much her hatred for her former master had caused her sleepless nights, taking her focus off of missions, and causing her to feel downright shitty for years. Did Naruto know what he was doing? Ah, that was it. He was asking her to put her faith in him.

If there was anything that made Anko feel any better about her past, it was that Lord Third had trusted her to prove her loyalty to her home. Lady Tsunade had also trusted her, and even allowed her to do this mission in the first place.

"Alright, Naruto, I believe in you."

The kid grinned like an idiot. "Thanks, Anko-sensei!" he ran out of the room in a flash of yellow and orange.

Damn brat, Anko snorted, he hadn't really wanted to talk about Sasuke after all.

"Naruto Uzumaki, huh? I think you've got more mettle than Orochimaru can handle." Anko fell into bed, feeling lighter than ever before, and for the first time in her adult life, she dreamed peaceful dreams.

/


End file.
